Flow rate control for a combine harvester unloading system

ABSTRACT

In a grain unloading system for a combine harvester a grain bin includes a frame, the frame has a floor with a trough. An unloading auger is disposed at least partially within the trough. An auger cover at least partially covers the auger. The auger cover has a hat for a top portion of the auger cover and a pair of gates movable between the hat and locations on the floor that are proximal to the trough. A gate adjustment structure is coupled to the pair of gates to move the pair of gates relative to the auger. A control system is coupled to the gate adjustment structure and configured to control the gate adjustment structure.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/578,172, filed Nov. 29, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. ______, entitled“FLOW RATE CONTROL FOR A COMBINE HARVESTER UNLOADING SYSTEM”.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of Invention

The present disclosure is generally related to combine harvesters and,more particularly, is related to grain unloading mechanisms of a combineharvester.

Description of Related Art

A combine harvester harvests crop and then unloads the harvested crop,such as grain, from a grain bin secured to a chassis of the combineharvester through an unloader tube and to the bed of a receivingvehicle, such as a truck or grain cart. Unloading systems on combineharvesters are continually being developed to unload grain faster. Thereare many perceived benefits to faster unloading, especially for theaspects of time to empty a grain bin and getting grain to trucks faster.A faster unload rate may help the entire harvesting operation run moreefficiently as trucks are not waiting as long to get filled, enablingthe trucks to return to the field faster so the maximum uptime ofharvesting is achieved.

One perceived shortcoming to a faster unload rate is the potentialdifficulty in topping off a truck or grain cart. Another perceivedshortcoming is that the startup torque for the system is generally highdue to increased flow rates, which may drive investment into a morerobust drive system to handle these peak loads. A variable speed drivesystem for the unloading system may be used, but it is very expensiveand may still require high startup torque.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the invention there is provided a grainunloading system for a combine harvester comprising:

-   -   a grain bin comprising a frame, the frame comprising a floor        with a trough disposed therein;    -   an unloading auger disposed at least partially within the        trough;    -   an auger cover that at least partially covers the auger, the        auger cover comprising a hat for a top portion of the auger        cover and a pair of gates movable between the hat and locations        on the floor that are proximal to the trough;    -   a gate adjustment structure coupled to the pair of gates to move        the pair of gates relative to the auger; and,    -   a control system coupled to the gate adjustment structure and        configured to control the gate adjustment structure.

Further features and aspects of the invention are defined by thedependent claims appended hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with referenceto the following drawings. The components in the drawings are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearlyillustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in thedrawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram that illustrates an example combineharvester equipped with an embodiment of a grain flow rate controlsystem.

FIGS. 2A-2C are schematic diagrams that illustrate several views of agrain bin of a combine harvester and an embodiment of a grain flow ratecontrol system working in conjunction with the grain bin.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram that illustrates, in overhead perspectiveview, an embodiment of a gate adjustment structure of a grain flow ratecontrol system.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram that illustrates, in fragmentaryperspective view, an embodiment of a gate adjustment structure of agrain flow rate control system.

FIGS. 5A-5B are schematic diagrams that illustrate in side perspectiveviews, raising and lowering of a respective pair of gates of pluralauger covers of an embodiment of a gate adjustment structure of a grainflow rate control system.

FIGS. 6A-6B are schematic diagrams that illustrate, in rear perspectiveviews, raising and lowering of a respective pair of gates of pluralauger covers of an embodiment of a gate adjustment structure of a grainflow rate control system.

FIGS. 7A-7B are schematic diagrams that illustrate, in rear perspectiveviews, another embodiment of a gate adjustment structure of a grain flowrate control system.

FIG. 8A is a block diagram that illustrates an embodiment of a grainflow rate control system.

FIG. 8B is a block diagram that illustrates an embodiment of an examplecontrol system depicted in FIG. 8A.

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram that illustrates an embodiment of an examplegrain flow rate control method.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Certain embodiments of a grain flow rate control system and method aredisclosed that use a gate system over cross augers of a grain bin of acombine harvester to control the flow of grain evacuated from the grainbin. In effect, certain embodiments of the grain flow rate controlsystem choke off the flow of grain to the cross augers, which in turnreduces the grain flow rate out of the grain bin.

Digressing briefly, some conventional unloader systems evacuate thegrain bin according to a constant rate, which may result in spillage ofgrain and/or difficulty in topping off the grain in the receivingvehicle. In systems that use variable grain flow rates, the benefits ofimproved control to avoid spillage may be countered by the extraequipment costs of such systems. In contrast, certain embodiments of agrain flow rate control system may variably, or incrementally, adjustthe grain flow rate without incurring significant equipment investment,providing for soft start and soft stop functionality when acorresponding unloader functionality is engaged or disengaged,respectively, and in some embodiments, more finite control of grainunloading that may be important in topping off scenarios.

Having summarized certain features of a grain flow rate control systemof the present disclosure, reference will now be made in detail to thedescription of a grain flow rate control system as illustrated in thedrawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram that illustrates an example combineharvester 10 equipped with an embodiment of a grain flow rate controlsystem. One having ordinary skill in the art should appreciate in thecontext of the present disclosure that the combine harvester 10 andassociated components are merely illustrative, and that otherconfigurations and arrangement of components may be used in someembodiments. For instance, in the description that follows, emphasis isplaced on a combine harvester 10 with an axial rotor design, though itshould be appreciated that combine harvesters of other types of designs,such as transverse rotor, hybrid, dual rotor, etc. may be used in someembodiments. As is known, the combine harvester 10 comprises a chassis12, a cab 14, a grain bin 16, and an engine and drive mechanisms thatdrive one or more wheels 18 (e.g., the front wheels in the depictedembodiment), as is well-known in the art. It should be appreciated thatother mechanisms of travel may be used, such as track-basedtransportation. The combine harvester 10 is coupled at the cab end to aharvesting header (not shown) via a feeder house 20, as is known.

In operation, as is well understood by those having ordinary skill inthe art, the harvesting header delivers collected crop materials to thefront end of the feeder house 20. Such materials are moved upwardly andrearwardly within the feeder house 20, and further conveyed rearwardly(e.g., by an optional beater) to a rotary processing device, such as oneor more rotors having an infeed auger on the front end thereof. Theauger, in turn, advances the materials axially into a processing systemfor threshing and separating. Generally speaking, the crop materialsentering the processing system move axially and helically therethroughduring threshing and separating operations.

During such travel the crop materials are threshed and separated by therotor(s) operating in cooperation with foraminous, arcuate processingmembers in the form of threshing concave assemblies and separator grateassemblies. Bulkier stalk and leaf materials are retained by the concaveand grate assemblies and are impelled out the rear of the processingsystem and ultimately out of the rear of the combine harvester 10. Cropmaterial expelled from the rotor and through the respective concave andseparator grate assemblies flow through a cleaning system, which maycomprise return and stratification pans and a shoe that compriseschaffer and sieve assemblies. With the aid of a fan or blower thatprovides forced air through a duct assembly to the shoe, lighter chaffparticles are separated from the grain and passed out of the rear of thecombine harvester 10, whereas the grain is conveyed (e.g., via aconveyor, such as an auger) to the grain bin 16. The grain bin 16comprises one or more conveyors, such as one or more cross augers, whichconvey the grain to an auger of an unloader tube assembly 22.

Having generally described select components and operations of thecombine harvester 10, attention is directed to FIGS. 2A-2C, which areschematic diagrams that illustrate several views of the grain bin 16 andan embodiment of a grain flow rate control system working in conjunctionwith the grain bin 16. It should be appreciated by one having ordinaryskill in the art that the design of the grain bin 16 shown in FIGS.2A-2C is one example structure, and that in some embodiments, adifferent structure may be used.

The grain bin 16 comprises a substantially rectangular frame 24 withrespective upstanding front and rear walls 26, 28, and respective leftand right upstanding side walls 30, 32. The front wall 26 is proximal tothe cab 14 (FIG. 1) of the combine harvester 10 (FIG. 1). One or moreportions of the frame 24 may be angled in some embodiments. Proximal tothe lower portion of the frame 24 are plural troughs 34 (rear) and 36(front) that extend (transversely) between the side walls 30, 32.Disposed within the plural troughs 34 and 36 are respective cross augers38 and 40 (mostly obscured in these views).

The cross augers, or simply hereinafter, augers 38, 40, compriserespective shafts that are accessed by (and rotated by) a drivingmechanism (e.g., belt assembly, U-joint, etc.) via respective wallopenings 42, 44 on the right hand side of the grain bin 16 in knownmanner. The augers 38, 40 are substantially covered by respective augercovers 46, 48.

In the depicted embodiment, the auger covers 46 and 48 are operablycoupled to a rotatable shaft 50, enabling simultaneous movement (e.g.,raising and lowering) of the auger covers 46, 48. In some embodiments, adifferent assembly or control mechanism may be used to enableindependent movement of the auger covers 46, 48. The auger cover 46 isoperably coupled to the rotatable shaft 50 via a crank 52 and linkassembly 54. The crank 52 is fixably secured to the shaft 50, rotatingin kind with the shaft 50. The crank 52 is pivotably coupled to the linkassembly 54, such as via a pin, ball bearings, ball joint, etc. In oneembodiment, the link assembly 54 comprises two links (e.g., metalmembers) that are secured (e.g., by bolt, screw, etc.), at one end of apair of moveable gates of the auger cover 46, at opposing (front andback) bottom ends of the gates of the auger cover 46. The front andrear, lower ends of the gates of the auger cover 46 to which the linksare secured are proximal to the left side wall 30, or stated otherwise,closest to the discharge end of the corresponding auger 38.

In a sense, the link assembly 54 straddles the auger cover 46 at oneend. Upon rotation of the rotatable shaft 50, the crank 52 likewiserotates, which in turn causes the link assembly 54 to raise the gates ofthe auger cover 46 in a skewed manner. That is, the left end of thegates of the auger cover 46 is raised more than the right end of thegates of the auger cover 46, enabling a variable or incremental flow ofgrain feeding into the auger 38.

The other auger cover 48 is also operably coupled to the shaft 50 insimilar manner, enabling a similar operation. Note that for singleauger/auger cover embodiments, the auger cover, gate pairs, and crankthat is driven by a bell crank may be omitted, and the retained crankfor the retained auger/auger cover may be directly connected to anactuator.

A cover 56 is shown in FIG. 2A, which provides a protective housing forthe linkage between the shaft 50 and a lever 58 (see FIGS. 2B-2C), andwhich also may house a sensor (e.g., potentiometer, etc.) to detect theabsolute positions or relative positions of the respective gates of theauger covers 46, 48. That is, the sensor may be used by a control systemof an embodiment of a grain flow rate control system to adjust thepositioning of the gates of the auger covers 46 and 48. In oneembodiment, the gates may be controlled to infinitely variable positions(as programmed by the control system), or in some embodiments, the gatesmay be controlled to a predetermined number of set points, such as four(4) set points (e.g., 0%, 25%, 75%, 100% opening), among other set pointvalues and/or quantities as desired. Also depicted in FIG. 2A is a grainconveyor housing 60, which houses a conveyor that conveys cleaned graintransferred from the shoe up and along the right hand side of the grainbin 16.

In one embodiment, the grain conveyor housing 60 includes one or moresensors, such as to detect the moisture content of the grain. Grainmoisture has a direct influence on the amount of power required for agrain unloading system. Generally, the more moisture present in thegrain, the more power it takes to convey the grain. A control system ofcertain embodiments of a grain flow rate control system may use theinput from the moisture sensor to effect control and positioning (e.g.,percentage of opening or settings) of the gates of the auger covers 46and 48. Note that, in some embodiments, the sensors for moisturedetection may be located elsewhere on the combine harvester 10 (FIG. 1).The conveyor housed within the grain conveyor housing 60 couples to anauger 62 adjustably disposed within the interior of the grain bin 16(e.g., via a U-joint or other well-known coupling mechanisms) totransfer the grain from the grain conveyor housing 60 to the interior ofthe grain bin 16.

On the other side of the grain conveyor housing 60, as shown in FIG. 2B,is a conveyor 64 (e.g., auger) that receives the grain from the shoe andtransfers the grain to the conveyor (e.g., auger) housed within thegrain conveyor housing 60. Additionally shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C is aconveyor (e.g., auger) 66 of the unloader tube assembly 22 (FIG. 1),which receives the grain conveyed by the augers 38, 40 (FIG. 2A) andtransports the grain out of the discharge end of the unloader tubeassembly 22 and into a receiving vehicle or apparatus. Further, FIGS. 2Band 2C show a hydraulic cylinder 68 that is coupled to the lever 58. Insome embodiments, other types of actuable devices (e.g., electric,pneumatic, mechanical) may be used. When activated (such as via acontrol valve that comprises an actuator (e.g., solenoid) that receivesa control signal from an electronic control unit (ECU) and responsively,actuates the control valve in known manner to enable a change in flowthrough the control valve and to the ports of the hydraulic cylinder),the hydraulic cylinder 68 causes movement of the lever 58, which inturn, causes rotation of the shaft 50 (FIG. 2A), resulting in theraising or lowering of the respective pair of gates of the auger covers46, 48 (FIG. 2A) to achieve variable or incremental controlled flow ofthe grain to and subsequently from the unloader tube assembly 22.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram that illustrates, in overhead perspectiveview, an embodiment of a gate adjustment structure 70A used in anembodiment of a grain flow rate control system. The gate adjustmentstructure 70A comprises an assembly for adjusting a respective pair ofgates (described further below) of one or more auger covers, theassembly including the shaft 50, the crank 52, the link assembly 54, andthe auger cover 46 covering the underlying auger 38. In someembodiments, the gate adjustment structure 70A may comprise fewer oradditional components. As shown, the auger cover 46 partially covers thecorresponding auger 38, which is disposed between the auger cover 46 andlocations on or near the floor (proximal to the trough 34) of the frame24.

The gate adjustment structure 70A further comprises a crank 72 and linkassembly 74 for adjusting a respective pair of gates (described furtherbelow) of the auger cover 48. The crank 72 is fixably coupled to theshaft 50, and pivotably coupled to the link assembly 74. The linkassembly 74 comprises two links that are pivotably coupled (e.g., viaball bearings, pins, ball joints, etc.) to the crank 72, and pivotablysecured at one end (e.g., proximal to the left side wall 30 (FIG. 2A),omitted in FIG. 3) of the pair of gates of the auger cover 48, and inparticular, to lower, opposing exterior sides of the gates of the augercover 48 (similar to the assembly comprising the crank 52, link assembly54, and pair of gates of the auger cover 46). Also shown is the lever 58(with the cover 56 omitted from this view), which in one embodimentcouples to the shaft 50 via a ball joint, though in some embodiments,other coupling mechanisms may be used. The lever 58 is shown in aposition (caused by movement of the hydraulic cylinder 68) that enablesthe auger covers 46, 48 to be in a lowered position. The otherreferenced components, including the side wall openings 42 and 44, havebeen described above and hence discussion of the same is omitted herefor brevity.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram that illustrates, in fragmentaryperspective view, the gate adjustment structure 70A depicted in FIG. 3,with several of the surrounding structures shown in FIG. 3 omitted. Thegate adjustment structure 70A is shown with the auger covers 46 and 48with gates in the raised positioned, revealing the underlying respectiveaugers 38 and 40. Notably, the gates of the auger covers 46 and 48 areraised in a skewed manner, such that the opening at the discharge side(left hand side in FIG. 4) of the augers 38 and 40 is greater in areathan the right hand side (in FIG. 4) of the augers 38, 40. In otherwords, the space between the interior of the auger covers 46 and 48 andthe respective augers 38 and 40 is greater at the discharge side of theaugers 38 and 40 than the space between the interior of the auger covers46 and 48 and the respective augers 38 and 40 on the opposite end (righthand side, proximal to the right hand side wall 32 (FIG. 2A)).

In one embodiment, and as referenced above, the auger covers 46 and 48each comprises multiple segments, including respective gates 76 (76A asshown, and a mirrored gate 76B that is only partially visible given theperspective of FIG. 4) and 78 (78A as shown, and a mirrored gate 78Bthat is only partially visible given the perspective of FIG. 4) andrespective hats 80 and 82.

Referring to the auger cover 46, each of the gates 76 (e.g., 76A and76B) of the auger cover 46 is secured to each link 84 and 86 of the linkassembly 54, the connection made at the lower portion of the gates 76proximal to the end of the auger cover 46 nearest the left side wall 30(FIG. 2A). The respective connection of the links 84 and 86 to the gates76A and 76B are pivotal connections (e.g., via ball bearing, pin, balljoint, etc.), enabling a somewhat rotational lifting and lowering of thegates 76A and 76B. The other end of the gates 76 are secured (e.g.,bracketed) to the lower portion of the hat 80 (e.g., each gate 76A and76B is secured to opposing sides of the hat 80), proximal to thenon-discharge end of the auger cover 46. Disposed in between (e.g.,half-way) both the connections of the gates 76 to the link assembly 54and the gates 76 to the hat 80 is a guide member 88 (e.g., bracket, andalso a mirrored bracket on the other side of the gate 76 that isobscured from view) that is secured to the hat 80, enabling guided andrestricted movement of the gates 76. The hat 80 is shown as a having asemi-cylindrical shape that partially covers the underlying auger 38 andextends the length of the auger cover 46. In some embodiments, the hat80 may be configured according to other geometries and/or coverageareas.

Referring to the auger cover 48, each of the gates 78 (e.g., 78A and78B) of the auger cover 48 is secured to respective links 90 and 92 ofthe link assembly 74, the connections made at the lower portion of therespective gates 78 proximal to the end of the auger cover 48 nearestthe left side wall 30 (FIG. 2A). The respective connection of the links90 and 92 to the gates 78A and 78B are pivotal connections (e.g., viaball bearing, pin, ball joint, etc.), enabling a somewhat rotationallifting and lowering of the gates 78A and 78B. The other end of thegates 78 are secured (e.g., bracketed) to the lower portion of the hat82 (e.g., each gate 78A and 78B is secured to opposing sides of the hat82), proximal to the non-discharge end of the auger cover 48.

Disposed in between (e.g., half-way between) both the connections of thegates 78 to the link assembly 74 and the gates 78 to the hat 82 is aguide member 94 (e.g., bracket, the other bracket on the front-facingside of the gate 78B obscured from view) that is secured to the hat 82,enabling guided and restricted movement of the gates 78. The hat 82 isshown as a having a semi-cylindrical shape that partially covers theunderlying auger 40 and extends the length of the auger cover 48. Insome embodiments, other geometries and/or coverage areas may be used.

Note that the portion of the respective gates 76 and 78 disposed betweenthe left side wall 30 (FIG. 2A) and the respective guide member 88, 94is configured to permit a gap between the floor of the frame 24 and thebottom edge of the gates 76 and 78, the gap gradually decreasing fromleft to right. Such a gap may enable a fail-safe mode of grainconveyance, such as if the raising operation of the respective pair ofgates 76, 78 of the auger covers 46 and 48 becomes disabled and the pairof gates 76, 78 remain in the closed position. In such circumstances, aflow of grain is still permitted via the gap. In some embodiments, theaforementioned portions may not be configured to permit a gap, and failsafe modes may be achieved using other mechanisms, such as mechanicalstops coupled to the shaft 50 that disallow a fully closed position(flush or substantially with the interior frame floor) of the respectivepair of gates 76, 78 of the auger covers 46 and 48, or a control systemthat causes the closing position to be at a value greater than 0%opening (e.g., 5%, 10%, etc.), among other mechanisms.

Though described with particularity in association with FIG. 4, someembodiments of the gate adjustment structure may be achieved withdifferent structures for the auger covers 46 and 48 that perform anequivalent function through the raising and lowering of the respectivepair of gates 76 and 78 of the auger covers 46 and 48, and hence arecontemplated to be within the scope of the disclosure.

FIGS. 5A-5B are schematic diagrams that illustrate in side perspectiveviews, raising and lowering of the respective pair of gates 76 and 78 ofthe auger covers 46 and 48 of an embodiment of the gate adjustmentstructure 70A. Referring to FIG. 5A, the respective gates 76 (76A and76B) and 78 (78A and 78B) of the auger covers 46 and 48 are depicted inthe raised position. Note that the lever 58 (which in one embodiment ispart of the gate adjustment structure 70A), which couples to a hydrauliccylinder 68 (FIG. 2C), is shown in a lowered position. The lever 58 iscoupled to the shaft 50 (e.g., via a ball joint connection), and whenthe lever 58 is lowered as shown, the shaft 50 rotates, causing thecranks 52 and 72 to coincidently rotate upward.

Note that the cranks 52 and 72 each comprise two (2) parallel-arranged,angled brackets that are fixably secured to the shaft 50 and pivotablycoupled to the respective link assemblies 54 and 74, as describedpreviously. By rotating upward, the cranks 52 and 72 likewise cause thelink assemblies 54 and 74 to move upwards. The link assemblies 54 and 74are coupled to the respective pair of gates 76 (76A and 76B) and 78 (78Aand 78B), causing upon crank action the gates 76 and 78 to raise in askewed manner relative to the respective hats 80 and 82.

As noted previously, the movement of the gates 76 and 78 are guided bythe guide members 88 and 94 (which have respective other halves of thepair on the other side of the auger covers 46 and 48 that are obscuredfrom view), respectively. In this position, the resulting gap betweenthe bottom edges of the gates 76 and 78 enables a greater grain flowoutput at the discharge end of the augers 38 and 40 (FIG. 4), whereinthe gap distance is skewed such that there is more of a gap at thedischarge end of the augers 38 and 40 (FIG. 4) than at the opposite endof the auger covers 46 and 48. Note that a gap created in the closedposition, whether achieved structurally by the geometry of the gates 76and 78, by a mechanical stop, and/or by a control system thatautomatically positions the gates to a predetermined percentage opening,enables a fail-safe mode of operation should there be a structural orother type of failure that disables the opening of the gates 76 and 78.That is, despite the disablement, an operator may still evacuate thegrain bin 16 (FIG. 1), albeit at a much slower rate, preventing (orreducing the risk of) the operator from having to enter the grain bin 16(FIG. 1) and digging the grain out of the grain bin.

Referring to FIG. 5B, the lever 58 is shown in a raised position(somewhat similar to the orientation shown in FIG. 3), which causesrotation of the shaft 50 downward. The downward rotation of the shaft 50results in the fixably coupled cranks 52 and 72 rotating downward, whichin turn causes the link assemblies 54 and 74 to lower the respectivegates 76 and 78 (gates 76A, and not shown, 76B, and partially shown 78A,and not shown, 78B) through their respective connections to the gates 76and 78. As noted by comparison to FIG. 5A, the gates 76 and 78 areguided by respective guide members 88 and 94 (on both sides of the augercovers 46, 48, though the other sides obscured from view) to slideacross the respective hats 80 and 82, closing the gap between the bottomedge of the gates 76 and 78 and the frame 24 (FIG. 2A).

FIGS. 6A-6B are schematic diagrams that illustrate, in rear perspectiveviews, raising and lowering of the auger covers 46 and 48 of anembodiment of a gate adjustment structure 70A. In the raised position,as shown in FIG. 6A, the gates 76 and 78 (gate halves 76A and 78A areshown, the other halves obscured from view but with similar action) areraised relative to the respective hats 80 and 82, resulting in a skewedgap between the bottom edges of the gates 76 and 78 and the frame 24(floor). In other words, an increasing amount of the underlying augers38 and 40 are covered when viewed from left to right in FIG. 6A andhence an increasing amount of grain in the grain bin 16 (FIG. 1) is fedto the augers 38 and 40.

Referring to FIG. 6B, the auger covers 46 and 48 are in the loweredposition, wherein the gates 76 and 78 (gates 76A and 78A shown, theother halves obscured from this view) have slid past the respective hats80 and 82 to decrease the gap between the lower edges of the gates 76and 78 and the frame 24, and hence choke the flow of grain in the grainbin 16 (FIG. 1) to the underlying augers 38 and 40 (FIG. 6A). Note thatin this embodiment, there is a small gap, in the lowered position,between the right hand side (right hand side when viewing FIG. 6B) loweredge portion of the gates 76 and 78 and the frame 24 (as opposed tobeing on the left hand side portion). As noted in part previously, thegap above the floor of the frame 24 in the lowered position may be onthe left hand side and/or the right hand side, or there may be nosignificant gap created by the structure or geometry of the gates 76 and78 at all in some embodiments.

Having described an embodiment of the gate adjustment structure 70Awhere the shaft 50 is perpendicular to a respective longitudinal axis ofthe auger covers 46 and 48, attention is now directed to FIGS. 7A-7B,which illustrate another embodiment of a gate adjustment structure 70Bwhere one or more rotatable shafts are used that are in parallel withthe longitudinal axis of the auger covers. Note that in someembodiments, a different quantity of augers (e.g., a single auger) andauger covers may be used.

Referring to FIG. 7A, and beginning from the rear portion of the frame24, a rotatable shaft 96 is shown that couples to the frame 24 (e.g.,via a bushing), and in particular, the left side wall 30 of the frame24. Fixably coupled to the shaft 96 are cranks 98 and 100. In theembodiment depicted in FIG. 7A, the crank 98 is longer than the crank100, and the cranks 98 and 100 are configured as two parallel, angledbrackets, similar to the cranks 52 and 72 (FIG. 5A) describedpreviously. The cranks 98 and 100 are rotatably coupled (e.g., via aball joint, ball bearings, pin, or roller, etc.) to respective linkassemblies 102 and 104. The link assemblies 102 and 104 each comprisetwo (2) links (one shown for each link assembly 102 and 104, the otherlink from each obscured from view) that straddle an auger cover 106. Thelink assemblies 102 and 104 are secured (e.g., via a bracket) to eachside of a bottom portion of gates of an auger cover 106, which partiallycovers the underlying auger 38. In one embodiment, the link assemblies102 and 104 each comprises two (2) single rods or members, angledslightly in a manner to avoid interference with the auger cover 106during raising and lowering of the gates of the auger cover 106. Eachlink of each of the link assemblies 102 and 104 are secured to moveablegates located on opposing (front and back) sides of the auger cover 106.Similar to the auger covers 46 and 48 (FIG. 5A) described previously,and as indicated generally above, the auger cover 106 comprises multiplesegments, including a pair of gates 108 (visible gate 108A and a mirrorimage gate obscured from view) and a hat 110, similar to theconfigurations shown in FIG. 5A. The link assemblies 102 and 104 aresecured to a lower portion of the gates 108 (108A and the other half,not shown), and when raised (via rotation of the shaft 96 andcorresponding upward rotation of the cranks 98 and 100), causes thegates 108 to slide across the hat 110 in an upward motion or in someembodiments, upward rotation. The upward motion or rotation is a skewedmotion according to the difference in length of the cranks 98 and 100(the crank 98 longer than the crank 100), resulting in a larger gap atthe bottom edges of the gates 108 on the left had side (when viewingFIG. 7A) versus the right hand side of the auger cover 106.

Further, in the depicted embodiment of FIG. 7A, a gap is shown (in thedepicted lowered position) between approximately the entire left half,bottom edges of the gates 108 compared to the right half bottom edges ofthe gates 108. In some embodiments, the bottom edges of the gates 108may be even (e.g., an equal amount of gap across the bottom edges of theentire auger cover 106 in the lowered position or no gap may be evidentat all) in some embodiments, or in some embodiments, the gap may bepresent only on the right hand side bottom edges of the gates 108 of theauger cover 106. Actuation of the assembly for raising and lowering theauger cover 106 may be via a control system comprising a hydrauliccylinder(s) in cooperation with a control valve integrated, orassociated, with an actuator, or via other motive sources and/oractuable devices (e.g., electric motors/actuators, mechanical,pneumatic, etc.).

The gate adjustment structure 70B further comprises a second auger cover112 for the underlying auger 40. The auger cover 112 comprises multiplesegments, including gates 114 (114A and a mirrored half not shown) and ahat 116, similar to that described for the auger cover 106. As shown,the gates 114 of the auger cover 112 are in the lowered position, with agap on substantially the entire left hand half, bottom edges (e.g.,between the frame 24 and the bottom edges of the gates 114). In someembodiments, the gap may be on the other bottom edges half of the gates114 of the auger cover 112, or may be omitted in some embodiments. Alsoshown is a rotatable shaft 118 in parallel with the longitudinal axis ofthe auger cover 112. The shaft 118 is fixably coupled to cranks 120 and122, where the crank 120 is longer than the crank 122 in the depictedembodiment. The cranks 120 and 122 are pivotably coupled to respectivelink assemblies 124 and 126. The link assemblies 124 and 126 eachcomprises two (2) links or rods or members that are in turn securelycoupled to the lower portions of the gates 114 (e.g., 114A and the other(front) half obscured from view). In other words, there are four (4)connections of the link assemblies 124 and 126 to the gates 114, withtwo (2) connections shown in FIG. 7A to the rear-facing side of the gate114 (114A) at locations proximal to the left and right hand side walls30 and 32, and two (2) connections obscured from view on the opposingside (front) gate 114 proximal to the left and right hand side walls 30and 32, similar to that described for connections to the gate 108. Alsoshown in FIG. 7A is a link 128, in this example located on the righthand side in FIG. 7A, that couples the movement of the shaft 118 and theshaft 96 to enable concurrent movement. In one embodiment, a hydrauliccylinder or other form of actuation may be coupled to the shaft 118 orthe shaft 96 to cause rotation of the shafts 96 and 118. In someembodiments, a multiple cylinders may be used to enable independentaction of the shafts 96 and 118.

Whereas FIG. 7A depicted the gate adjustment structures 70A in a loweredposition, FIG. 7B shows the gate adjustment structures 70B in a raisedposition. Note that, contrary to the gate adjustment structure 70Adepicted in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the gates 108 and 114 of the auger covers106 and 112 for the gate adjustment structure 70B slide across theinterior (as opposed to the exterior) side of the respective hats 110and 116. In other words, movement of the gates 108 and 114 is guided bythe structure of the hats 110 and 116, respectively. Also noteworthy isthe opening of the gates 108 and 114 is skewed, with a greater gap onthe left hand side of the auger covers 106 and 112 than on the righthand side.

Note that in the depicted embodiments of FIGS. 7A-7B, actuation may beachieved via a lever and hydraulic cylinder assembly and actuablecontrol valve (or other forms of actuation, such as electrical,pneumatic, etc.), similar to that depicted from the hydraulic cylinder68 and lever 58 (FIG. 2C), that is controlled from the cab 14 (FIG. 1)of the combine harvester 10 (FIG. 1). In some embodiments, actuation(for embodiments 70A and 70B) may be achieved in more rudimentaryfashion, such as via a manual lever, or via local control (e.g., switchand circuitry) that is proximal to the gate adjustment structures 70Aand 70B (e.g., outside of the cab 14).

FIG. 8A illustrates a general block diagram of an embodiment of a grainflow rate control system 130. The grain flow rate control system 130comprises a control system 132, the gate adjustment structure 70 (e.g.,either 70A or 70B, FIGS. 3-7B), and one or more pairs of gates (e.g.,plural gate pairs 76A, 76B and 78A, 78B of FIG. 5A, or plural gate pairs108A, 108B and 114A, 114B) of the associated one or more auger covers.The grain flow rate control system 130 comprises one or more electroniccontrol units (ECUs), one or more actuable devices, and one or moresensors. For instance, assuming a hydraulic control system and the gateadjustment structure 70A (FIG. 5A), the grain flow rate control system130 may comprise an ECU coupled to an actuable control valve of ahydraulic circuit that also includes the hydraulic cylinder 68 (FIG.2C). The ECU signals the actuable control valve (e.g., a solenoid of theactuable control valve) to adjust the internal flow control mechanisms(e.g., spool) of the control valve, which in turn adjusts hydraulicfluid flow to ports of the hydraulic cylinder in known manner, resultingin actuation of the hydraulic cylinder (e.g., extension or retraction ofthe piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder). In one embodiment, theactuation of the hydraulic cylinder in turn causes, through coupling tothe lever 58 (FIG. 2A) of the gate adjustment structure 70 (e.g., 70A),rotation of the lever 58. The lever action in turn causes a rotation ofthe shaft 50 (FIG. 5A), which in turn causes continuously variable orincremental adjustment of the plural pairs of gates 76 and 78 of therespective plural auger covers 46 and 48 (FIG. 5A).

Referring now to FIG. 8B, shown is an embodiment of an example controlsystem 132 depicted in FIG. 8A. The control system 132 comprises acontroller 134 coupled to one or more sensors 136, user interfaces 138,and actuable or controlled devices 140, which in turn are coupled to thegate adjustment structure 70 as shown in FIG. 8A. In some embodiments,the sensors 136 may be located proximal to components of the gateadjustment structure 70. In some embodiments, the sensors 136 may belocated external to the combine harvester 10 (FIG. 1), such as on anaccompanying vehicle, such as a grain cart or truck to monitor the filllevel (the grain level) of the cart or truck in real time. Note thatactuation of the gates of the auger covers may be achieved in someembodiments in more rudimentary fashion, such as via manual lever ormore rudimentary circuitry. One having ordinary skill in the art shouldappreciate in the context of the present disclosure that the examplecontroller 134 is merely illustrative, and that some embodiments ofcontrollers may comprise fewer or additional components, and/or some ofthe functionality associated with the various components depicted inFIG. 8B may be combined, or further distributed among additional modulesor controllers, in some embodiments. Further, it should be appreciatedthat, though described in the context of residing in a single controller134 (e.g., electronics control unit or ECU), functionality of thecontroller 134 may be distributed among a plurality of controllers insome embodiments, and in some embodiments, one or more of thefunctionality of the controller 134 may be achieved remote from thecombine harvester 10 (e.g., FIG. 1, where the combine harvester 10 hastelecommunications and/or internet connectivity functionality). Thecontroller 134 is depicted in this example as a computer system, but maybe embodied as a programmable logic controller (PLC), field programmablegate array (FPGA), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), amongother devices.

It should be appreciated that certain well-known components of computersystems are omitted here to avoid obfuscating relevant features of thecontroller 134. In one embodiment, the controller 134 comprises one ormore processors, such as processor 142, input/output (I/O) interface(s)144, and memory 146, all coupled to one or more data busses, such asdata bus 148. The memory 146 may include any one or a combination ofvolatile memory elements (e.g., random-access memory RAM, such as DRAM,and SRAM, etc.) and nonvolatile memory elements (e.g., ROM, hard drive,tape, CDROM, etc.). The memory 146 may store a native operating system,one or more native applications, emulation systems, or emulatedapplications for any of a variety of operating systems and/or emulatedhardware platforms, emulated operating systems, etc.

In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 8B, the memory 146 comprises anoperating system 150 and grain flow rate control software 152. It shouldbe appreciated that in some embodiments, additional or fewer softwaremodules (e.g., combined functionality) may be deployed in the memory 146or additional memory. In some embodiments, a separate storage device maybe coupled to the data bus 148, such as a persistent memory (e.g.,optical, magnetic, and/or semiconductor memory and associated drives).The storage device may be a removable device, such as a memory stick ordisc.

In one embodiment, the grain flow rate control software 152 is executedby the processor 142 to receive user input at the user interfaces 138(e.g., one or a combination of console button, switch, knob, hydrohandle or joystick, scroll wheel, selectable icon displayed on a screenthat is manipulated by a mouse or joystick, selectable icon on atouch-type screen, microphone on a headset or on the console, etc.),match or associate (e.g., via look-up table or in some embodiments viaprogrammed switch position activation) the input with a correspondinggrain unloading function (e.g., engage/disengage the unloading system,increase or decrease or stop grain flow from the grain bin 16 (FIG. 1),etc.), and actuate one or more actuable devices 140 (e.g., one or morecontrol valves and the hydraulic cylinder 68 (FIG. 2C), one or moreelectric actuator/motor, etc.) to cause a raising or lowering of thelever 58 (FIG. 2C) or other mechanism of the gate adjustment structure70 to cause rotation of the shaft or shafts of the gate adjustmentstructure 70, which in turn effectuates the raising or lowering of thegates of the auger covers and adjustment of grain flow.

Note that the input at the user interfaces 138 may correspond to theoperator turning the unload system of the combine harvester 10 (FIG. 1)off, resulting in automatic closing of the gates of the auger covers.The automatic closing of the gates may prevent grain from packing aroundthe augers 38, 40 (FIG. 4) while, for instance, the combine harvester 10is bouncing across a field (these measures accordingly reduce peakstartup torque when the grain unloading function is engaged). The inputat the user interfaces 138 may correspond to crop selection (e.g., froma list of selectable crops presented on a display device) for theoperator to choose from, which in turn is interpreted by the grain flowrate control software 152 as a predetermined required setting of thegate positions, and accordingly, the grain flow rate control software152 causes the adjustment of the one or more pairs of gates of the augercovers. As noted above, the inputs may be received from a user interface138 (e.g., a switch, button, knob, scroll wheel on the console or on ahydro handle or joystick, an icon selection on or associated with agraphical user interface, microphone, etc.) and corresponding signalsdelivered via the I/O interfaces 134 to the grain flow rate controlsoftware 152 executing on the processor 142. A lookup table (or otherform of data structure in some embodiments) may be stored in memory 146when used to translate the input (e.g., moisture level or crop type) toa corresponding function (changing the position settings of the one orplural pairs of gates). The output is provided to the controlled(actuable) devices 140, which in turn causes control operations of thegate adjustment structure 70 as described above to implement the changedsettings. Note that adjustment of gate pairs of respective auger coversmay be achieved independently in some embodiments, or concurrently.

In some embodiments, the sensors 136 provide input to the grain flowrate control software 152 (via the I/O interfaces 144) to cause gateadjustment. For instance, signals from moisture sensors, gate positionsensors, or signals from accompanying vehicle sensors (e.g., whichmonitor grain fill level in the bed of a truck, for instance) may bereceived via the I/O interfaces 144 by the grain flow rate controlsoftware 152, and used to adjust settings of the one or plural pairs ofgates of the auger cover(s). In some embodiments, the sensed levelsembodied as signals sent (wirelessly) to the controller 134 may be usedto implement a soft stop through variable adjustment and/or stepped-downadjustment of the gate positions. Note that at start-up, in someembodiments, the grain flow rate control software 152 may cause variablepositioning of one or plural pairs of gates corresponding to one or moreauger covers, resulting in a soft start for unloading the grain from thegrain bin 16 (FIG. 1). The sensors 136 also may be used to monitor thegate positions, enabling a feedback of the positions to the grain flowrate control software 152 and adjustment as required for a givenapplication or as directed by an operator through the user interfaces138.

Execution of the grain flow rate control software 152 may be implementedby the processor 142 under the management and/or control of theoperating system 150. For instance, as is known, the source statementsthat embody the method steps or algorithms of the grain flow ratecontrol software 152 may be translated by one or more compilers of theoperating system 150 to assembly language and then further translated toa corresponding machine code that the processor 142 executes to achievethe functionality of the grain flow rate control software 152.Variations of this execution process are known, depending on theprogramming language of the software. For instance, if Java-based, thecompiled output may comprise bytecode that may be run on any computersystem platform for which a Java virtual machine or bytecode interpreteris provided to convert the bytecode into instructions that can beexecuted by the processor 142. Also, register transfer language (orother hardware description language) may be used to translate sourcecode to assembly language, which the one or more operating systemcompilers translate to executable machine code. In some embodiments, theoperating system 150 may be omitted and a more rudimentary manner ofcontrol implemented. The processor 142 may be embodied as a custom-madeor commercially available processor, a central processing unit (CPU) oran auxiliary processor among several processors, a semiconductor basedmicroprocessor (in the form of a microchip), a macroprocessor, one ormore application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), a plurality ofsuitably configured digital logic gates, and/or other well-knownelectrical configurations comprising discrete elements both individuallyand in various combinations to coordinate the overall operation of thecontroller 134.

The I/O interfaces 144 provide one or more interfaces to one or moredevices, such as the actuable devices 140, the user interfaces 138, thesensors 136, among other devices that are coupled directly or indirectly(e.g., over a bus network, such as a CAN network, including oneoperating according to ISO-bus) to the controller 134. The I/Ointerfaces 144 may also comprise functionality to connect to othernetworks. For instance, the I/O interfaces 144 may include a networkinterface that enables remote or wireless communications, such as viawell-known telemetry functionality, Blue-tooth communications,near-field, among other electromagnetic spectrum communications.

When certain embodiments of the controller 134 are implemented at leastin part with software (including firmware), as depicted in FIG. 8B, itshould be noted that the software can be stored on a variety ofnon-transitory computer-readable medium for use by, or in connectionwith, a variety of computer-related systems or methods. In the contextof this document, a computer-readable medium may comprise an electronic,magnetic, optical, or other physical device or apparatus that maycontain or store a computer program (e.g., executable code orinstructions) for use by or in connection with a computer-related systemor method. The software may be embedded in a variety ofcomputer-readable mediums for use by, or in connection with, aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as acomputer-based system, processor-containing system, or other system thatcan fetch the instructions from the instruction execution system,apparatus, or device and execute the instructions.

When certain embodiments of the controller 134 are implemented at leastin part with hardware, such functionality may be implemented with any ora combination of the following technologies, which are all well-known inthe art: a discrete logic circuit(s) having logic gates for implementinglogic functions upon data signals, an application specific integratedcircuit (ASIC) having appropriate combinational logic gates, aprogrammable gate array(s) (PGA), a field programmable gate array(FPGA), etc.

Having described some example embodiments of a grain flow rate controlsystem 130, it should be appreciated in view of the present disclosurethat one embodiment of a grain flow rate control method, the methoddepicted in FIG. 9 and denoted as method 154, comprises rotating pluralaugers disposed within a lower portion of a grain bin (156); andadjusting a flow rate of the grain from the grain bin by adjustingpositioning of a pair of gates of one or more of respective plural augercovers at least partially covering the one or more of respective pluralaugers (158).

Any process descriptions or blocks in flow charts should be understoodas representing modules, segments, or portions of code which include oneor more executable instructions for implementing specific logicalfunctions or steps in the process, and alternate implementations areincluded within the scope of the embodiments in which functions may beexecuted out of order from that shown or discussed, includingsubstantially concurrently or in reverse order, depending on thefunctionality involved, as would be understood by those reasonablyskilled in the art of the present disclosure.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of thepresent disclosure are merely possible examples of implementations,merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of thedisclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to theabove-described embodiment(s) of the disclosure without departingsubstantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All suchmodifications and variations are intended to be included herein withinthe scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.

1. A grain unloading system for a combine harvester comprising: a grainbin comprising a frame, the frame comprising a floor with a troughdisposed therein; an unloading auger disposed at least partially withinthe trough; an auger cover that at least partially covers the auger, theauger cover comprising a hat for a top portion of the auger cover and apair of gates movable between the hat and locations on the floor thatare proximal to the trough; a gate adjustment structure coupled to thepair of gates to move the pair of gates relative to the auger; and, acontrol system coupled to the gate adjustment structure and configuredto control the gate adjustment structure.
 2. A grain unloading systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the floor comprises plural troughs inwhich a respective unloading auger is at least partially disposed, andwherein respective auger covers and gate adjustment structures areprovided for each auger.
 3. A grain unloading system according to claim1, wherein the control system comprises a user interface, whereinresponsive to receiving a predetermined operator input at the userinterface corresponding to deactivation of a grain unloading function,the control system is configured to cause the gate adjustment structureto move the gates to a closed position.
 4. A grain unloading systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the control system further comprises asensor to detect the position of the gates of one or more of a pluralityof auger covers.
 5. A grain unloading system according to claim 1,wherein the gates are configured to close at more than zero percentopen.
 6. A grain unloading system according to claim 1, wherein thecontrol system further comprises a user interface, wherein responsive toreceiving a predetermined operator input at the user interfacecorresponding to selection of a crop type among a plurality ofselectable crop types, the control system is configured to cause thegate adjustment structure to move the gates to a predetermined position.7. A grain unloading system according to claim 1, wherein the controlsystem is configured to receive a signal from a remote device, thesignal comprising information corresponding to a level of fullness of avehicle for receiving grain from the grain bin, wherein responsive tothe signal, the control system is configured to cause the gateadjustment structure to move the gates to a predetermined position.
 8. Agrain unloading system according to claim 1, wherein the control systemis configured to receive a signal corresponding to grain unloadingactivation, wherein responsive to the signal, the control system isconfigured to cause the gate adjustment structure to variably adjust themovement of the pair of gates of one or more of a plurality of augercovers.
 9. A grain unloading system according to claim 1, wherein thegate adjustment structure comprises: a rotatable shaft; a first crankrigidly affixed to the rotatable shaft; and, a link assembly coupledbetween the first crank and the gates.
 10. A grain unloading systemaccording to claim 9, wherein the link assembly comprises first andsecond links that straddle the auger cover and are each pivotablysecured to a respective gate of the pair of gates.
 11. A grain unloadingsystem according to claim 9, wherein the rotatable shaft issubstantially perpendicular to the auger cover.
 12. A grain unloadingsystem according to claim 9, wherein the link assembly comprises firstand second links that straddle the auger cover and are each pivotablysecured to a respective gate of the pair of gates wherein the first andsecond links are pivotably secured at only one end of the auger cover.13. A grain unloading system according to claim 10, wherein in responseto a first rotation of the rotatable shaft, one end of the pair ofmovable gates moves up to a predetermined distance that is greater thana predetermined distance the other end of the pair of movable gatesmoves up to.
 14. A grain unloading system according to claim 10, furthercomprising: a second crank rigidly affixed to the rotatable shaft; and asecond link assembly coupled between the second crank and the pair ofgates.
 15. A grain unloading system according to claim 14, wherein thefirst crank is longer than the second crank.
 16. A grain unloadingsystem according claim 14, wherein the floor comprises plural troughs inwhich a respective unloading auger is at least partially disposed, andwherein respective auger covers and gate adjustment structures areprovided for each auger, further comprising: a second rotatable shaft; aset of cranks rigidly affixed to the second rotatable shaft; and a setof link assemblies respectively coupled between the set of cranks and apair of second movable gates of a second auger cover.
 17. A grainunloading system according claim 14, wherein the floor comprises pluraltroughs in which a respective unloading auger is at least partiallydisposed, and wherein respective auger covers and gate adjustmentstructures are provided for each auger, further comprising: a secondrotatable shaft; a set of cranks rigidly affixed to the second rotatableshaft; and a set of link assemblies respectively coupled between the setof cranks and a pair of second movable gates of a second auger cover;wherein the first rotatable shaft is substantially parallel to the firstauger cover and the second rotatable shaft is substantially parallel tothe second auger cover.